155th Anniversary of the Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a radical, socialist, and revolutionary government that ruled Paris from 18 March to 28 May 1871. Formed after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, it was a revolt against the national government, characterized by worker-controlled cooperatives, social reforms, and secularism before being violently suppressed.
Following the collapse of Napoleon III’s empire and a humiliating siege by Prussia, Parisians felt betrayed by the conservative National Assembly, sparking an insurrection in Montmartre over control of cannons. On 18 March 1871, the national government attempted to seize the cannons of the National Guard, which was a citizen militia, at Montmartre. Parisian crowds resisted, and the regular army troops eventually fraternised with the citizens rather than firing on them.
The Commune became a 72-day experiment in self-governance, composed of socialists, anarchists, and radical republicans. The Commune implemented progressive policies, including the separation of church and state, abolition of child night shifts, free education, and the right for workers to take over factories.
Women played a crucial role in the administration and defence of the Commune, though they were not allowed to vote. From 21–28 May 1871, the French army (based in Versailles) retook the city, resulting in an estimated 20,000 deaths, which became known as the “Bloody Week” (Semaine Sanglante). The Paris Commune w
